The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-15
SOME STRANGE ANrrpArHlRs.


 It seems absolutely incredible that Peter the Great, the father ct the Russian navy, should shudder at the sight of water, whether running or still. yet So it was, especially when alone. His palace gardens, beautiful as they were, he never entered, because the river Mosera flowed through them. His ooachmea had orders te> avoid all roads which led past stroams, and If compelled to cross a brook or bridge. the great emperor would sit with closed windows, in a cold per spiration. Another monarch, James l, the English Solomon, as he liked to be called, had many antiquities, chiefly tobacco, ling and pork. He never overcame his inability to look with composure at drawn sword :: and 1t is said that on one occasion, when giving the dccoidie, the king turned his face aside, nearly wound ing the aew-made knight. Henry III, of France, had go great a dislike to cats that he fainted at the sight of one. We suppose that in this case the cat had to waive its proverbial prerogative and could not look at a king. This will seem as absurd as extraordinary to lady lovers of that much petted animal, but what are we to say of the countess of Lambelie, of unhappy history, to whom violet was thing of horror? Even this Is not without it's precedent, for 1t Is on record that Vincent the painter was seized with vertigo and swooned at the smell of roses. Scaliger states that one of his relations was made Ill at the sight of a lilly, and he himself would turn pale at the sight of water crosses, and could never drink milk.
 Charles Kingsley, naturalist as he was 10 the core, had a great horror of spiders and in "Glaucus," after saying that everyone seems to have his antip- athletic animal, continues 'I know one (himself) bred from his childhood to zoology by land and sea, and bold in asserting and hon st in feeling that all without exception is beautiful, who yet cannot, after handling and betting and examining, all day long, every uncouth and venomous beast, avoid paroxysm of horror at the sight of the common house -spidcrs
 The writer shares in this dislike to painful extent; In this case 1t Is inherited from his grandfather. The genial author of the "Turkish Spy" says that he would far prefer sword @in hand to face lion in his desert lair than to have a spider crawl ovep him in the dark. The cat, as we have pre- viously mentioned. has repeatedly been an object of aversion. The duke of Schomberg, though rcdoubtable soldier, would not sit in the same room with a cat. A courier of the emperor Ferdinand carried this dis like so far as to bleed at the nose on hearing q. cat new. A wcll-known officer of her majesty's army, who has proved his strength and courage in more than one campaign, turns pale at the sight of cat. On one occasion when out to dinner his host, who was rather sceptical as to the reality of his feelings, concealed a cat in an ottoman in the dining room. Dinner t' aHIOuHNtNl AItu NpttttttIlCDua UuI his guest was evidently i'll at ease i; and at length declared his inability to go on eating, as he was sure there was cat in the room. Anapparently thor ough, but unavailing search was made but his visitor was so completely upset that the host, with many apol- ogics for his experiment, "lct the cat nf fhn haar v asa1 ant Af ..f man at the same time. Lord Lauder dale, on the other hand, declared that the moving of cat was to him sweeter than any music, while he bad the greatest dislike to the lute and the bagpipe. In this latter aversion he was by no means singular. Dogs too have come in for their share of dislike. DeMusset cordially detested them. When candidate for the academy he called upon a prominent member. At the gate of the chateau a dirty ugly dog received him most aficctioDately, and insisted on pre- ceding him into the drawing room, DeMusset curslng his friends predi- lection for the brute. The academician entered and they adjourned to the dining room, the dog at their heels. Seizing his opportunity the dog placed his muddy paws upon the spotless cloth and carried off bonne. bouche. "The wretch wants shoot ing!' was De Mnssets muttered thought, but he politely said
 You are fond of dogs, seel"
 Fond of dogs" rctorted the Acad- emician, "I hate them"
 But this animal bere1" queried De Musset.
 "I have only tolerated it because thougt 1t ~as yours, sir"
 "MiBe!" exclaimed the poet: "the thought that 1t was yours alone kept